The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-09-01
In Defence of the Anarchists.

cision has yet been reached, but the ease is OF
such great interest that perhaps the readers OF
the journal would appreciate an article based
on the facts in that case.
The bitter enmity shown against the social
cd Anarchists originated less than three years
ago. The first move was on Thanksgiving day
1884. at a ma>s-neeting called in Market Sd.
Chicago, to discuss the winters prospects am,
see what the working people had to he thank
ful for. The first speaker expressed the fol
lowing sentiments:
ION every hand men are hcin" discharged by
the hundreds, and without money OF work they
are left to face the approaching winter. The
employers tell lis the cause of our discharge is
Over-production. We ask them is Il remedy
that they give us the ei.ht-hour ,llv. because
the increase of machinery has made oycr-pro-
dlctlon, and as We cannot get rid of the influx
OF machinery the labor day should hc shorten
ed to prevent the disastrous oyer-production
that throws so many out of work at the ap-
prOach of winter. How do the EMPLOYERS an
>wer our demands: They refuse 10 shorten
the work day and thus they allow the country
To become flooded with the unemployed. Ii we
g" on strike for shorter days our employers
call out the militia t" intimatc us and shoot
us II opportunity offers, while they fill our
places from the great army of the UNEMPLOYED.
Long hours and machinery have Hooded the
country with oVer-producton and in ronsc-
Iuehrc We are discharged. The employers re-
ftl>e to offer any remedy. We are here to-day
to enquire what we are @uin" to do about il :
Because of the "Ner-produrtion of food the
farm hands are discharged. and must they Sarvc
hccauSc there is too much bread in tie country
Is 1t because there is too much bread that they
are discharged and being discharged they can
not earn livin. aud are therefore left to Starvc
because there is too much bread in the country.
The coalmincrS are discharged because of the
ovcr-produrtion of coal, and must therefore
freeze this winter because there is too much
coal in the country. Are they willing to do
this peacefully? The carpenters are ,li>charg-
ri because. the employers say. there are more
houses already built than can he rented. There
fore the carpenters being out of work must
sleep out doors this winter because. there are
too many houses. The taiIorS, coat and vest
makers are discharged because Of over r-produr-
tion and therefore must 20 naked because there
Is too much clothing in the country. In every
trade and every occupation machinery has en-
tered and with long hours has produced an
-pro'lurtion, so We can in losing one ioh
no longer find work at something. else. The cl-
ploycrs and capitalists refuse all remedy and
expect IT'S to submit TO it. vii! We: lon Scr
WrSc Sf"rrS WV"d ~ "rr,Apiriny 1rM t,od
ond riothiny und Mr empty hnn>cs M uhnut
us. Whit must trr do2 lIr n,,tSt nti,tni=r
0nd arm oHrscIrcS anil tohr MeSe minus in
f"rc" ri nrntS otR nat /s"y lni' H."a. if we are
'cnrd the opportunity To earn them"
ne crowd ,i'rrr humlrr'" ahcul hNr lh"uS-
ah'i ann the above speech was received with
tremendous applause. The next morning: every
paper in the country claiming To report the
speech. printed only that paragraph have Civ
en- in italics. and most of the papers stated ed-
torav that all the speakers advocated only
armed rl''hdcr ana general robbery and that
the speakers were an ignorant class OF foreign
cut-throat> who knew nothing of, and cared
uOtHIur for the = Of n free trJ
F"r me was unable to believe these editorials.
because myself made the speech referred To,
ana ! ana my parents amt all my grandparents
!of the last two hundred years were born in
New tnSiand. ',it the great mass OF the pco-
Pc believed the newspaper reports, and thus
began thc blttef hatred OF the SO-calied Anar-
chlsts; A few months later the great Chicago
board OF Trade building was dedicated and on
me day OF It's dedication the so-callc'i Anar-
ril.tS called mlss-mccting Of protest and in
Their speeches denounced the Board of Trade as
Il den OF thieves and organized gamblers. who
We're tonllnaly drawing OH millions from the
property and w"rkin" capital of the common
people by @i@ant'r gambling III the necessities
"t NE lhl> effort capped the climax and
every H"aid OF Trade man was filled will! the
hIlt"resi feeling against the Anarchists. The
papers a!l dld as before, namely. only reported
IN" 'nilan'n'htory expressions i'll their speeches.
ana all readers were thus he'd to believe that
nothing hnt il'lnh"r and murder We're a'lN"rat-
cd. The police learn ',l to hate the Anarchists.
nov o'l'E because Oh WlItl liicN ii:h fral IN The
"'tlv papers, blil because llcy kiicW mat The
s"-railrd Anarchists We're the cause of many
strikes where The police were 50 often called To
,Nlfa hi'iv' ana lhey say and several "l them
nave >'l' 10 me. tl' ',it dozen or two OF the
q ID leaders could he cleaned up We should
nave no more trouble about strikes. And
whenever Il strike occurs the originatorS are
called Anarchists AM! belicvcd to be Anarchists
II any resistance To the police. militia or Pink
cr'ons Is offered. hcnever the police. militia
or finkcrtonS have opened fire upon the >trik-
cfs the Anarchists have been relentless III their
rrlllcl>nl and IT is safe I" say the pole" Of
hicaS" absolutely hate tn" Anarchists. and 1t
Is probable that they have some fear of them
also. rms feeling against the Anarchists was
l us he'=hl on May iIrSi, l'N''. when the Great
rl9h'-hour strike occurred ihc Anarchists all
advocated the eight hour >y>tt IN tn'i III hr;I.o
were The leaders III that move. capt. Honllrlh
openly declared he would make short work of
the Id Anarchists if he could catch thcn ii
a meeting where the women were not present.
Dn the cvcnin" of May second at the Hay
market he evidently thought he had his coNrt
I'l opportunity rs h;. ti"ubicd-'Inickcd his Two
hundred police down upon that meeting that
had already begun to .dSrersc. The first speak
rr condemned the police for lirin" upon the
strikers at MrtormrA' factory the day before.
and with this except tioM the speakers confined
themselves 10 the ci.ht-hour day and III" u-
cet- and prospects Of the strike. The meeting
was perfectly orderly throughout. The police,
station was hut half Il block away and capt.
I:oneId testified in court that he Had many Of
his men in citizen, dress at the meeting and
had reports fr"n there every Two or three min
ntcS, bat could testify To nothing that occurred
that wa, ,liso,lrrly. The nriyor was ut the
meeting ami when l, saw that il WAS about 10